Sir Thomas Temple, 1st Baronet, was an English landowner and Member of Parliament.
Background
Thomas Temple was the eldest son of John Temple and Susan (née Spencer). Although he is said to have been born at Burton Dassett in Warwickshire, this seems improbable as his baptism on 9 January 1566/7 is recorded at Everton, Northamptonshire, the childhood home of his mother. As a child he moved with his father to Stowe House in Buckinghamshire.
He grew up in a well connected, Puritan family - two of his brothers-in-law were William Fiennes, 1st Viscount Saye and Sele and Sir Nicholas Parker, while his nephew was James Temple, the regicide.
He married Hester Sandys the daughter of Miles Sandys in about 1585 or 86.
Education
University of Oxford. University College.
Career
In 1582, he matriculated at University College, Oxford at the age of 16. He was admitted to Lincoln"s Inn in 1584. He was knighted by James I in 1603 and purchased a baronetcy in 1611.
In 1604, Temple purchased the Borough of Buckingham.
This was a rotten borough and several generations of the Temple family served in parliament for this seat. In 1606, Thomas served as sheriff of Oxfordshire.
He was sheriff of Buckinghamshire in 1616 and of Warwickshire in 1620. The wool industry on which the Temple family fortune had been founded had been suffering since the beginning of the seventeenth century.
Sir Thomas also had other drains on his wealth.
In the 1620s, Sir Thomas was planning to sell some land to reduce his debts. He took his Sir Thomas to court to prevent the sale. Sir Thomas was allowed to sell the land, but he had to make a payment to Sir Peter.
In the early 17th century, the Temple family wrote and received many letters - both official and personal.
In the Stowe papers at the Huntington Library there are a large number of letters written to Sir Thomas and a small number of letters written by him to other family members.
Membership
He was elected Member of Parliament for Andover, Hampshire in 1589 as a result of the influence of his father in law - the first member of his family to serve in Parliament.
